Theerarak Suthatiwongse
A seventh-grade student of Pattaya City School 4 had his motorcycle stolen in Soi Photisarn while riding to do homework at a friend’s house.

The victims report their misfortune to police.

Prakaipetch (“Lek”) told Police Lieutenant Seksak Arthornkijjawat that he had asked for 40 baht from his mother Saifon to buy eucalyptus leaves for his school project.
He also asked permission to take out the motorcycle transporting two other friends to go do school assignment at a friend’s house on Soi Nong Yai on November 2.
Lek told police that two men stole his motorcycle. Police are looking for the men, one of whom is named Tua whom students described as a bully.
It is unknown whether the youngster’s parents were reprimanded for allowing their underage, unlicensed child to ride three on a motorcycle on public roads.

Gang fight leaves one dead, another seriously injured

Boonlua Chatree
One man was hacked to death and another seriously injured in a deadly running fight between two gangs of construction workers in Pattaya on November 22.
Eyewitnesses said the two groups of eight people were chasing each other and running along the road, fighting with swords and pistols.
Police found Tawai (“Ball”) Tipsawat, 22, of Banglamung, dead from some 20 deep cuts all over his body at a construction camp in Soi Nonghim 10 near the Pattaya Indoor Stadium.
Another man, Sirichai (“Neung”) Damdee, 24, was seriously wounded nearby with knife slashes all over his body. He was rushed in a coma to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya by Sawang Boriboon Thamasathan Foundation rescuers.
The dead man’s girlfriend, Tippawan Buasorn, 19, told police that on the evening of the fight Nong and Tep, friends of the deceased Tawai, called her boyfriend to go to the camp from his home in Huayai to help them fight three other workers at the construction camp: Boy, Pu and Ek.
Tippawan said her boyfriend agreed and took a .38 caliber pistol with him and herself as company. At the construction camp they met Sirichai, drank whisky and started to get drunk.
Later Boy, Pu and Ek appeared armed with a gun and swords to attack Nong and Tep. Tawai pulled out his pistol and fired three shots into the air which scared off the attackers.
The five carried on drinking until they ran out of whisky then they walked together along the road to buy some more. Unexpectedly as they passed a dark area, their angry foes came out from the shadows with swords and attacked them again.
The two gangs were running alongside the road, chasing and fighting and “trying to kill one another like warriors,” she said.
Tawai stumbled and fell down to the ground and was brutally hacked to death. Tippawan tried to help but the attackers threatened to kill her as well if she interfered.
The brutal attackers continued chasing and attacking Sirichai while Nong and Tep took off into the bushes.
Police were searching for the two who escaped and their three sword-wielding attackers.

Police trap two women “ya ba dealers”

Patcharapol Panrak
Undercover police posing as ya ba buyers arrested two women allegedly with 26 ya ba pills in their possession destined to be sold to Burmese fishermen.

Wipa and Wilai look remorseful after their arrest for selling ya ba.

Wipa Ngamchit and Wilai Sonwicha, both 50 of Sattahip, were charged with possession of a class-1 narcotics intended for distribution.
Police said undercover officers bought one ya ba pill from Wipa for 300 baht and made an appointment to collect the pill in front of a leased room in Sattahip.
Police said the two women came on time and were arrested while police alleged that they found 26 ya ba pills on Wipa.
According to police, the two women worked doing laundry but didn’t have enough income plus had large debts owing to informants.
So they allegedly took up selling ya ba, buying it from Tha, a fisherman and distributor, for 230 baht per pill then selling them to a Burmese fishing crew for 300 baht each.

Drunken policeman arrested for shooting weapon at Jomtien Beach

Boonlua Chatree
It was a case of police arresting police when a drunken non-uniformed officer from Pattaya Crime Suppression was held for discharging his pistol in front of the Jomtien police box on November 21.

Corporal Weera was arrested with a 9mm handgun and a fully loaded magazine, and charged with discharging a weapon in a public place.

Corporal Weera Leetana said he was angry with his friend for a short time for not returning the gun that was borrowed. He only wanted to threaten his friend and didn’t have the intention of injuring anyone.
He said that he had tracked down his close friend to Jomtien Beach and had asked him to return the pistol several times. They quarreled and he lost control of his temper.
He only shot into the air “to calm himself down”, just forgetting that he was standing in front of the police box.
Pol. Cpl. Somschai Chaikananuku, deputy in Crime Suppression at the Pattaya Police Station, said police had set up a road block on Beach Road after receiving a report that a man had shot a gun and was trying to flee on a motorcycle.
Corporal Weera was nabbed with a 9mm handgun and a fully loaded magazine on his waist. He’s been charged with discharging a weapon in a public place.

Fake-watch seller runs out of time

Boonlua Chatree
Complaints by tourists about selling harassment led police to arrest Samarn Yarpring, 42, of Krabi, and confiscate some 100 counterfeit brand-named watches from his bag on November 21.

Samarn Yarpring has been remanded to custody for allegedly threatening behavior whilst trying to sell his illegal watches.

Police Major Wittaya Yeunyong said foreign visitors in bars on Beach Road Sois 7 and 8 were annoyed by Samarn’s high-pressure selling and threatening tactics. He apparently also appeared to be drunk.
The man denied threatening tourists to buy his fake watches which he had bought for 200-300 baht each and sold them on for 1,000-2,000 baht each.
He was taken in and charged with distributing counterfeit goods.

Elephant conservation heads talks at local forum

Patcharapol Panrak
The conservation of African and Asian elephants was the topic of an international elephant conservation and research forum held at Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens in Pattaya on November 24.

A baby elephant welcomes Dr Suwit, delicately “handing” him jasmine flowers while dancing girls perform in the background.

Thailand’s Elephant Foundation (TEF) in collaboration with the International Elephant Foundation (IEF), Faculty of Veterinary Science and Foundation of Postgraduate Veterinarian Studies at Mahidol University held a meeting of elephant conservation and research seeking “an efficient balance between elephant, man, and nature.”
Dr. Suwit Yodmanee, president of Thailand’s Elephant Foundation, presided at the opening of the forum at Nong Nooch with Charlie Gray, president of IEF which operates in 18 countries.
A baby elephant welcomed Dr Suwit, delicately “handing” him jasmine flowers while dancing girls performed in the background.
Assistant professor in veterinary science and secretary of TEF, Parnthep Ratanakorn, said that currently both wild Asian and African elephants are facing extinction while elephants in captivity in some areas are treated very poorly.
Therefore co-operation is needed in the elephant conservation campaign and research must be conducted on elephants from all origins to better understand how to conserve them.
Dr. Suwit said that the reason for choosing Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens for the meeting was because the park had ready amenities and facilities as well as being a place that shows some of the balance between man and nature.
The forum gave opportunity for specialists to exchange knowledge and set up good relationships between elephant researchers, he said.

Children’s Day promises fun next month

Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Attack dog demonstrations, a show about lives of sea turtles, Naval anti-aircraft and other weapons on show and able to be handled, free food and drinks courtesy of Pattaya City, all this sounds like a fair.

Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn discusses Children’s Day 2009 with the officials.

A Children’s Day festival to be exact, all happening on the street and park area in front of city hall on Saturday, January 10.
Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn chaired a meeting on November 18 at city hall to prepare for the big day for kids. Many interested parties were in attendance.
Wutisak said Children’s Day 2009 would be the fourth year that Pattaya City has organized the event, each year as good as or better than the last.
This year the city will invite private companies, department stores, and community groups to create a day of useful fun and learning for our youngsters.
The Air and Coastal Defense Command at the Royal Thai Navy will exhibit sea turtles, weapons and the Battalion Squadron at Marine Corps Command will demonstrate attack dogs, which is seldom seen.
Pattaya City will prepare food and beverages for the children. It will close the front of the road from the Pattaya traffic light on 3rd Road North Pattaya to Pettrakul intersection from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. for the fair.
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome will open the event and deliver a message to the children from the Prime Minister.

Naval police receive giant helmets

The booths are ready to begin shielding officers from the hot sun.

Patcharapol Panrak
When they need shading from the sun or shelter from the rain, naval police around Sattahip Naval Base now have extra hats to put over their heads.
If the helmets are a little on the large size, it is because they are really movable shelters shaped like giant Navy police sun helmets, donated by businesses to keep our naval police cool and dry.
Vice-Admiral Sriwisut Ratarun, commander of the Sattahip Naval Base, received of 10 security guard boxes at the Commissioned Officers Club at the naval base on November 13.
They came from seven donors: Narinrat Saleepol, marketing manager of Wiman Tai Thalae Co. Ltd., Anusak Rodboonmee, vice president of the Ambassador City Jomtien Hotel, Jiraporn Sodorn, sales and marketing manager of Nong Nooch Village, Pramern Saribunyarit, manager of the Chonburi Isuzu Sales Co. Ltd. Banglamung Branch, Dr Pichit Kangwolkij, director of Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, Sakaret Thaipichit, sales manager for Petroleum Authority of Thailand, and Anuchit Wanitsermkul, manager of Major Network Co. Ltd.
Admiral Sriwisut said the giant helmets will be installed in several locations on the main road to support police on traffic duties and especially at intersections and military camp entrances.
Some wrong-doers may no doubt also be deterred by the possible presence of invisible giant naval policemen.

Renovations due for old lighthouse

Patcharapol Panrak
Pahurat Lighthouse, the third oldest lighthouse in the country, built in the reign of King Rama V on Koh Juang, is to be renovated by the Navy’s Hydrographic Division.

This old lighthouse, built in the reign of King Rama V, is about to receive some much needed repairs.

A naval team of Vice-Admiral Chaiwat Pukarat, Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Navy in Region 1, Vice-Admiral Professor Nakhon Tanuwong, director of the Hydrographic Division, Rear-Admiral Worasak Channoo, deputy commander in region 1, and other officers went by speedboat to the island in heavy rain on November 11.
The group hiked to the top of the island to survey the old lighthouse, which is still in good condition. It now uses solar cells to produce power to charge batteries for its beacon light for shipping. It is manned by an officer and a security guard of sailors.
There are plans now for it to be renovated and maintained along with the conservation of vegetation around it.
Professor Nakhon said that Thailand has along history of shipping, going back to the Sukhothai era and especially during the reign of King Rama IV when there was more commercial shipping from abroad.
A map of the Chaophaya River was drawn and during King Rama V’s time the lighthouse was constructed and placed under the control of what is now the Ministry of Interior.
Later King Rama VI placed the island in the charge of the Ministry of the Navy. Since December 24, 1919, the Ministry of the Navy has assigned the Hydrographic Department to further manage the lighthouse and the good navigational service it provides to ships in its vicinity.